[Ravensfort] Demise of the Artisan of the Season....

[David R. Hoffpauir]

**Disclaimer**

Before I even start, I'd like to emphasize this is not intended to ruffle
feathers or dispute the decision of the B&B concerning scrapping of the
Artisan of the Season award.  If anything I hope to motivate folks to "get
off their duff" and really do something to support and ensure the success of
the new award in whatever form it takes.  Good ideas must sustain themselves
and can't be propped up by will of law and a good artisan program must first
give public recognition, above and outside the group, plus provide an avenue
for the B&B to obtain items for gift baskets required at Coronation and
various Kingdom presence events like Pennsic and Gulf War.  That's one of
the basic duties of the B&B position and it's a tough juggling act
sometimes, but one that says so much to the rest of the world.

During our tenure as B&B, we heard A LOT of "WE WANT A BARONIAL LEVEL
ARTISAN AWARD" and we supported it as something that was really needed.
However, there is a huge difference between pacifiers and pizza.  The last
thing we wanted was something that'd get sucked on for a while, then spit
out because it was a cheap fix, superficial, and non-armigious. Besides, why
give a Baronial cookie, when almost anyone who's devoted enough time to be
deserving of recognition will have likely developed their skill to a level
worthy of a Kingdom level, armigious, Sable Thistle?

To understand our approach and our final attempt at establishing "something"
for the artisans, you gotta go way back (at least for me).  The history of
the artisan award started a year or more before we stepped up as B&B.
Baroness Alex pretty much led the charge, but was adamant that it would be
an award "of, by, and for" the people.  Some may not agree, but, hey this
was nine years ago, I'm a lot fatter with fewer brain cells, sue me, that's
how I remember it.  Anyway, she had some ideas, names and such for the
award, but put it back onto the populous to come up with criteria, scrolls,
award name, etc.  She and Kief could have said "this is the way it's gonna
be," but didn't, leaving things up to the artisans and the populous to
conceive and execute.  Well we inherited the lack on an award and a list of
potential names, none of which anyone could agree on.  So, our first attempt
to structure the award came early on, within our first year as B&B.  There
was lots of chatter about it for about two months, then it fell flat.  Now
lemme say, it was always our belief and modus operandi that good ideas
nurture and grow of there own accord, bad ideas flop.  No use feeding a dead
cow.  We had made known what was expected, our reasons for putting it back
onto the group, etc., and "nobody did nothing."

In the following couple of years it was mentioned on and off.  We always
gave full reign to whoever brought it up to organize the artisans with the
same thought in mind that it should not be something "we" did as B&B, but
something that the populous did because it's what they wanted and would
support.  Here again we could have said "this is the way it's gonna be" but
in light of democracy, good management practices, and the wisdom of Norman
Vincent Peale, we didn't.  However, our desire to have an award never ...er,
"wavered, faltered, or failed." ahem.

During Gunthar and Sara's reign (3 yr ago, I think) there was a lot of
discussion amongst the Landed Nobles and the Crown about local level awards
and we were given strong encouragement, by the Crown, to create local level
orders and awards (non-armigous, of course).  This time we did stump for an
award, publicly, for about six months.  In the end we had another list of
names and an equally dead cow.

This was five and a half years into our tenure and we knew that time was
ticking on how much longer we'd be the B&B.  We really didn't want to leave
the artisan issue unfinished and it became apparent that no group decision
was going to be made, so, in consultation with the A&S Minister and others,
we came up with the "Artisan of the Season" idea last year.  Maybe it was
crammed down the craw, but hey the populous/artisans had had their chance
and it was "this is how it's gonna be" time.  We heard nothing but gritchin,
complaining, and criticism from day one.   Why, because it "required"
recipients to do something once they received the public recognition of the
award (ahem, sorta like being a Peer, i.e. teach others, pass on works to be
used by the crown, make medallions, organize guilds, you know "artisan
stuff"). It was hoped that the recipients would band together and slowly
form some sort of cohesive unit of folks, similar to an Order, that would
lead the artistic direction of the group.  It also built upon itself by
slowly bringing more and more people into the decision making process and
provided definite goals for its members.

I've heard a hundred times, "we need to recognize the artisans".  Well the
AoS idea did that and a heck of a lot more.  I'm darn proud it and, at
least, it had more substance than a cheap piece of paper with some paint on
it.

Now we have the chance to go in a completely new direction and I hope it
works, but dammit, real stuff ain't jaw flappin, it's work, commitment, and
organization, all the things this group is notoriously good at.  I'm not
privy to the "new idea" for the award.  Frankly, I don't care, I just don't
want to see it flop or become a pacifier.  Our artisans do good work and
deserve to have their work paraded to the Kingdom and the Knowne World.  I,
we, had our shot at it and, truth be known, the populous let us down.  Let's
not let it happen again.

dsd and Chrystal
-(well at least I'll tell her later)
dsd

David R. Hoffpauir
GIS/DBA
Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies-
Sam Houston State University,
Huntsville, Tx
env_drh at shsu.edu
936-294-4995 work
936-294-3822 fax